Chapter 9 to live like a gamecock
Summary
As Inman and Veasey are walking, they see a fine crosscut
saw, apparently left while the woodcutters break for dinner.
Veasey steals the saw expecting to sell it. They meet a man
who is trying to figure out how to get a bull carcass out of the
creek, which is his water supply. The man has Inman and
Veasey help him try to pull the bull out with a rope. They
cannot. Then Veasey has the idea to use levers to move the
bull. Veasey and the man use the stolen saw to cut poles to use
as levers. With the levers they could lift the bull a bit, but
could not move it. Finally, Inman used the saw to section the
bull and remove it from the creek piece by piece. The man
invites Inman and Veasey to have supper and sleep at his
home. In return, Inman insists the man take the saw.

The three walk down the road, Inman, Veasey, and Junior, as
the man is called. Junior tells stories about his prize
gamecocks and about how women used to fling themselves at
him. He shares a bottle that he has stashed in the woods. The
liquor goes to Veasey’s head and he begins to think that to live
like a gamecock sounds grand. Junior explains that now he is
married to a known slut and he lives with her, her two sisters,
and three children of unknown paternity.

Junior’s house has partially fallen off its foundation and sits at
a slant. Being inside is disorienting for Inman and Veasey, the
latter who is so drunk he falls asleep on the bed. Junior goes
off and Inman is left with Junior’s depraved wife, Lila, who
leads him out back to a huge fire circle. She and her sisters
offer Inman a strange drink that all but incapacitates him. Lila
then takes Inman back into the house and offers herself naked
to him on the table. At that moment Junior returns. He has
brought the Home Guard. They force a mock wedding
between Lila and Inman who can barely form words. They
then turn Inman and Veasey over to the Home Guard.

Inman and Veasey are tied to a string of fifteen other prisoners
and walked eastward for several days. In addition to being
given no food, Inman despairs over the loss of the westward
miles he had accomplished. One night they stop and the Guard
decides the prisoners are a waste of time. The prisoners are all
shot.

Inman is struck in the side of the head with a bullet that has
passed through, and therefore been slowed by, Veasey’s
shoulder. Inman falls to the ground barely conscious and is
buried in a shallow grave with the rest of the murdered
prisoners.

In the wee hours, Inman is unearthed by wild boars plowing
around. He is able to cut his bindings on a sharp stone and,
though barely able, walks westward once more. He tires
quickly and unable to choose a direction, sits to rest at a
crossroad. A slave passing by offers Inman a melon and a ride
to a hiding place on his master’s farm. Fed by the slaves and
resting hidden under the hay for days, Inman regains some
strength. He is given a fine hand-drawn map and some advice
about how to avoid Federal raiders and sets out.

Inman returns to Junior’s slanted house. He finds his pack and
gun right where he left them. Junior is in the smokehouse
when Inman enters. Inman clubs him with the gun and leaves
him bleeding on the ground.

Inman walks on following the map from the slave. Eventually
he stops to rest and falls asleep while watching crows taunting
a snake.

Your browser does not support the IFRAME tag.

Notes

Inman feels no particular sorrow over Veasey’s death. He has
seen so much random killing that he views death insensitively.
Out of respect he turns Veasey’s body face down. Finding
himself back in the pine flats where he thinks ill of both the
landscape and the people, Inman goes after Junior. His attack
seems more a matter of duty than vengeance. He fears he has
become no less base than other men.

At the chapter’s end we again see the symbol of the crows.
This time it is Inman noting the crow’s ability to escape or stay
to taunt their enemies at will. Like his hat that was as the
shadow of a crow inspiring Inman to freedom as a boy in
Chapter 1, crows once again cause him to dream of escape.
Though Inman dreams of being like the crows he is left only
with his ability to endure.